Root canal therapy is used when the nerve system in a tooth becomes unhealthy, inflamed or infected.

It is performed over a few visits whereby the nerve is extirpated from the root canal and the canal is thoroughly cleaned out, disinfected and medicated until all symptoms have resolved.

Due to the lack of blood supply after root canal treatment, a tooth is very brittle, hence a crown is strongly recommended to help protect the tooth.

If the tooth has a poor prognosis, you will probably be offered the option of an extraction.

Depending on the anatomy of the tooth, sometimes a referral is needed for the extraction. We usually refer wisdom teeth extractions to specialist oral surgeons.

If immediate relief is not an option, temporary palliative care will be provided and different options will be discussed.

Teeth that usually end up infected are those that are heavily filled, traumatised or have large cavities that have been left unattended until symptoms arise.